Trump paused Russia sanctions to 'analyse' impact on global economy: Rubio

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio revealed on Saturday that President Donald Trump’s decision to temporarily exempt Russia from sanctions and tariffs was a 60-day pause to "analyse" the economic implications of the restrictions. The economic measures, adopted last month by Congress, targeted Russian officials, oligarchs, and financial institutions, as well as major buyers of Russian oil and gas.

The aim was to diminish funding for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his war on Ukraine. However, Trump's waiver of these sanctions and tariffs on Russia occurred late on Friday, two days before the law was set to take effect. Rubio emphasized that the economic sanctions affected numerous countries, including the United States, Iran, and Saudi Arabia due to conflicts impacting global energy prices.

Trump's decision to waive the sanctions was reportedly intended to benefit the US economy, though it remained unclear whether he had finalized his decision. Both Democrats and Republicans criticized Trump for the waiver, with some arguing that solving the Iran issue rather than supporting Putin could lower energy prices. Republican Senator Thom Tillis deemed the move "irresponsible," while Senator Ted Cruz called it a "mistake."

Trump's executive order on Friday followed a deal with Putin to permit the export of Russian diesel in exchange for sanctions easing. The impact of diesel price increases due to the Iran war began to affect the US economy, contributing to rising costs of living as voters prepare for midterm elections next month.